Conventional dishwasher systems include a main pump assembly and a drain pump assembly for circulating and draining wash fluid, respectively, within a wash chamber defined within the dishwasher system. The main pump assembly feeds wash fluid to various spray arm assemblies for distribution throughout the wash chamber to wash soiled items loaded into dishwasher racks positioned within the wash chamber. Wash fluid sprayed onto the dishwasher items is collected in a sump located in a lower portion of the wash chamber, and water entering the sump is filtered through one or more coarse filters to remove soil and/or sediment from the wash fluid. At least some conventional dishwasher systems further include a filter system in flow communication with the main pump assembly to remove soil and/or sediment of a smaller particle size than those particles filtered by the coarse filters. The main pump assembly draws wash fluid from the sump to re-circulate in the wash chamber, and the coarse and fine filters are used to continuously filter the water in the sump during the re-circulation process.
Such filter systems require periodic removal for cleaning by a consumer in which consumers are expected to remove, clean, and properly reinstall filter components on a regular basis. Unfortunately, problems can occur when consumers fail to maintain filter components on a regular basis. For example, dishwasher performance can be degraded by the presence of excess debris which can obstruct water flow.
Accordingly, a dishwasher filter assembly that decreases the need for consumer interaction would be desirable. A water inlet that is capable of purging a filter assembly while also providing additional functionality would be particularly useful.